Second man arrested in connection with killing of pot shop employee

The man, Ryan Daniel Erker, was arrested Thursday after King County Sheriff’s investigators questioned him about the murder of Ryan Prince. Prince was found dead inside a home after being shot multiple times.

Ryan Prince

Another man, Stephen M. Marshall, was arrested in late February. Marshall and Erker have each been charged with second-degree murder.

According to court documents, detectives found Prince’s missing cell phone on Feb. 18, the day after his slaying. It was found about 200 yards north of his home. On the cell phone, detectives found a photo taken at 8:10 p.m. on Feb. 17, about 10 minutes before a neighbor called 911 to report hearing gunshots coming from Prince’s home. The photo was a close-up image of Washington license plate number, which was recorded for a burgundy Chrysler PT Cruiser.

The owner of that vehicle told police that she had given the vehicle to her ex-husband, Marshall, a felon who reportedly was a supplier of marijuana for a medical pot shop where Prince had worked.

The court documents said that detectives, before they arrested Marshall, observed Erker visiting Marshall’s home. Under questioning, detectives said, Erker eventually admitted to agreeing to act as the lookout while Marshall and his crew burglarized Prince’s home. Police said Erker also admitted doing research on the home before the burglary and helping to get rid of the PT Cruiser that was being sought.